Method of and machine for attaching soles



Oct. 16, 1 945. .c. n. KNOWLTON METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR ATTACHING SOLES Filed April 13, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l [72v enlor Cutler DKnou/Zfqn Oct? 5- C; D. KNOWLTON METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR ATTACHING SOLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 13, 1944 fiwenzor Cutler D1020 zulzon' Patented Oct. 16, 1945 METHQD OF AND MAcnINEFon ATTACHING- soLEs Cutler D. Knowlton, Rockport, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation ofNew Jersey Application April is, 194.4,.Serial No. 530,849

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and a machine, for attaching. soles toshoes and-is in par- ,ticularconcerned with the activation of thermoplastic cement previously applied to a shoe bottom .and-asole as wellas theattachment of that sole toathe shoe by the application of pressure to, the

:sole after the cement onthe shoebottomand the sole hasbeen activated and the sole has been laid .uponthe shoe bottom.

It is one of the objects ofthe invention to-insure anniformand simultaneous activation of thermoplastic cement on a shoe bottom and asole, and aquick attachment of thesole to the shoe after .the'cementhas been activated. v

.To this end-the invention in its methodaspect is characterizedby locating a shoe bottomand a sole, tothe attaching faces of which a thermoplastic cementahas been applied, .at equal distancesfrom a'heating device from which parallel heat rays arebeing emitted so that the'rays. are substantially normal to the attaching faces of the shoe .bottomand the sole. This insure -a uniform lactivation of the thermoplastic cement on-the-attachingiacesof boththe shoe bottom and the sole. After thecement activation, the .soleisimmediately laid uponthe shoe bottom and attached thereto by pressure.

.Forthe purpose. ofcement activation'b'oth the shoe and the sole -,preferably are so placed with relation to the heating device that their attaching faces. are located with at least their greater portions substantially in the same plane to which the .heat rays are normal.

The invention also. provides a machine adapted. for use inthelpractice of the above-mentioned method, and in accordance with another feature .of the invention therefore, the illustrated machine isprovided with shoe and sole supporting means which is spacedfrom a heating device emitting parallel heat rays and is so arranged with relation to the heating device that the heat raysare substantially normal to the attaching faces of both theshoe and the sole. In addition to this, themachine is provided with mechanism for quickly pressing together the shoe and the sole after the latterhas been laid upon the shoe bottom.

Moreover, the illustrated machine inaccordance with another .featureof the invention is provided with .a support for both the heating device and. the pressing mechanism, the support being movable so as to locate the heating device and thepressing mechanism alternately in register with the shoe supporting means. When the heating device is in register with the shoe supporting means, thermoplastic cement previously applied tothelattaching faces of the .shoe bottom andoi the sole isactivated. ;Movement of the support thereafter quickly brings the pressing mechanism into register withthe shoe support so that without undue loss of timepressure maybe applied to the sole which in themeantime-has been laid upon the shoe bottom. Theseand other features of theinvention will now be described indetail with reference toithe accompanying drawings and will be pointedout in the appended claims.

In the drawings: h

Fig. ,1 is a-side elevation, partly. in.section,,o f a cement activating and sole attaching machine embodying the present invention;

Fig.2 is a plan of partof the,machineillustrated in Fig. .1; and

,Fig.. 3,isa front elevation of thepressing mechanism with certain partsbroken away.

The illustrated machine servesthe purposeof activating thermoplasticcernent previously applied to a shoe bottom .and a sole to be attached thereto, as .wellasofattaching the sole to the shoebottom immediately after the activationof the cement, the attachment being effected by the application of pressure to the sole after the latter has been, laid upon the shoe bottom. While the illustratedmachine is primarily intended for use in shoe repairshops, it is by no means limited in its utility toshoe repair work, but can be used advantageously also inthe manufacture ofcement hoes.

.After.the application of.a suitable thermoplastic 'cementto the attaching faces of both the shoeandthe sole. theshoe and thesole are .so locatedateaual,distances from a heating device emitting parallel heatraysthat the rays meet the .saidattaching faces substantially at right angles thereto. By this arrangementa maximum ,ejmciency of the heating device is insured-revcluciizig both time and cost. :of operation, .andtfurthermore, theactivation of the cement onthe attaching facesof both t-heshoeand the sole-is carried out uniformly so that when the sole-is laid..up.on the ,shoebottom the cement on both attaching, facesvis substantially in the same con- ,dition of activation.

i The illustrated. machine. hasabase Ill (Fig. 1) which isadapted to rest on atable ;or work bench and is provided with av boss I2 inwhich is secured a hollow externally threadedcolumn or.,screw l4. Surroundin the a c lumn I4 and engaging the boss. l2-is aclamping collarv 16 upon which' igests a heavy spring l8 surrounding the column l4.

The upper end of the spring l8 supports a collar 20 which is held against rotation and on which is mounted for rotation about the axis of the column M a two armed support 2!, the arms 22, 23 of which extend in opposite directions. The arm 22 supports a heating device H which serves to activate the thermoplastic cement upon the at taching faces of the shoe and the sole, and the arm 23 serves to support a pressing mechanism P by means of which pressure is applied to the sole and the shoe bottom so as to attach the sole to the shoe. The support 2| is adjustable heightwise of the column I4 and to this end there is provided a hand wheel 26 the hub 24 of which rests on a collar 25 on top of the support 2| and has a tapped bore in threaded engagement with the screw threads of the column l4. The collar 25 is held against rotation but is movable heightwise with the support 2|. Rotation of the hand wheel 26 in one direction causes downward movement of the support 2| against the pressure of the spring l8, and rotation of the hand wheel 26 in the opposite direction causes upward movement of the support 2| as a result of the expansion of the spring l8. This serves to adjust the heating device H with relation to the attaching face of a shoe S supported in the machine, as well as to adjust the pressing mechanism P with relation to the attaching face of the supported shoe. Thus the intensity and duration of the activation of the cement may be regulated, and moreover, the distance of travel necessary for the pressing mechanism to contact the sole laid upon the shoe bottom so as to apply pressure thereto may be adjusted to be as small as possible thus saving time.

The shoe S when presented to the machine comprises an upper and an insole (not shown) which have been worked into lasted relation on a last L and which are ready for the attachment of an outsole (Fig. 2) thereto by a thermoplastic cement previously applied to the attaching faces of the shoe and the outsole.

.In order to present the attaching face of the shoe in proper relation to the heating device as well as the pressing mechanism and to sustain the shoe against the sole-attaching pressure, the last with the shoe supported thereon, is mounted on a support or jack. Referring to Fig. 1 it will be noted that the base It is provided with a bracket 30 having two upstanding ears 32 in which is supported a horizontal pin 34. Mounted for pivotal movement about the pin 34 i a shoe and last supporting jack 36 which may be tilted into different angular positions and which is held in a selected angular position by suitable means (not shown). The jack 36 is substantially a two armed member havinga downwardly extending projection which is mounted on the pin 34. One arm of the jack 36 carries an upwardly extending pin 38 which is received in the pin hole or thimble of the last when the latter is presented to the jack. The other arm of the jack carries a toe rest 40 supporting the toe end of the lasted shoe S. The toe rest 4|! is adjustable along a slot 42 provided in the jack 36 and is held in adjusted position by a clamping screw (not shown). The adjustment of the jack about the pin 34 is made to locate the attaching face of the shoe or at least the greater portion thereof in a substantially horizontal plane. The adjustment of the toe rest 40 along the slot 42 is made to accommodate shoes of different sizes.

The heating device H is carried by a bracket 50 '(Fig. 1) which is secured bybolts 52 to the allel relation. As illustrated in Fig. l the heater is so arranged that the parallel heat rays are directed downward.

For the purpose of presenting the sole 0 coated with a thermoplastic cement to the heater 54 so as to activate the cement, there is provided a shelf 60 (Figs. 1 and 2). The shelf 60 is beneath substantially one half of the heater 54 when the heater is in register with the jack, and is spaced therefrom a predetermined adjustable distance. The shelf 60 is supported by a rod 62, the upper end of which is in threaded engagement with a boss 54 provided on the collar 20.

The aforementioned pressing mechanism P includes a press pad Ill of a type commonly used in cement sole attaching machines which is adapted to engage the sole 0 after the latter has been placed upon the bottom of the shoe S supported on the jack 36. The pad '10 is mounted and retained in acasing 12 which is arranged in the machine for .h'eightwise movement toward and from the supported shoe S. As illustrated in Fig. l the casing 12 is provided on its top face with a boss 14 in which is secured by means of a tapered pin (Fig. 3) the lower end of a plunger 16. The plunger 16 is vertically movable in a bore 18 provided in the arm 23 of the support 2| and has a close lit in the lower portion of the bore 18, which portion is of reduced diameter. The upper portion of the plunger I6 is reduced in diameter and forms a stem 80 which is surround- .ed by a spring 82 the lower end of which is seated on a shoulder of the plunger 16 and the upper end of which engages a flanged sleeve 84 surrounding the upper end of the stem 80. Downward movement of the plunger 18 is effected by downward movement of the sleeve 84 through the agency of the spring 82, the spring yielding after the pad 10 has engaged the sole 0 on the bottom of the shoe S upon continued downward movement of the sleeve 84. The upper end of the sleeve 84 is normally held by the spring 82 against a nut 88 threaded upon the upper end of the stem 80.

To lower the sleeve 84 so as to move the pad 1|] into pressing engagement with the sole 0 on the bottom of the shoe S, the sleeve 84 is surrounded by a rectangular block 9|) secured to the sleeve 84 by a binding screw 92 (Fig. 1) so that both move as a unit. Downward movement is imparted to the block by a double toggle. Each toggle has a lower link 94 (Fig. 3) pivotally secured by a fulcrum stud 95 to one end face of the block 90. The lowerlink 94 of each toggle is pivotally connected-to an upper toggle link I00 by a center pin 98. The two upper toggle links I00 are integral with the forked end I02 of a hand lever I04. The hand lever [04 is rotatable about a horizontal stud (Figs. 1. and 3), the opposite ends of which are secured by nuts I I2 in two spaced uprights H4. The lower ends of both uprights 4 are secured to the opposite side faces of the arm 23 by screws H6.

As indicated in Fig. l, in the inoperative position of the machine parts the sleeve 84 is maintained in its uppermost position determined by the nut 88, the double toggle 94, I09 is inits broken position, the hand lever I54 extends upasserts nch-t hold the pad 10 in its pressure applying ing done by an upwar'd movementof the handl-vr ice. The pad '10 and the machine L connected therewith are then" e'levated 1 into 1hoperative positions, Forthis purpose the boss 14hr the pad'casing '12 has secured in it by a tapered pin (Fig.3) "a rod (2%), a portion of tvhich is guid'e'din averticalbore I22 'provided harem-am projection 23 of' th'e-arm 23. The upper portion of the rod I211 extending above'the projection 52% issurrounded by a spring I24, the lower endof which is seated against the top'fac'e dime-propan lea-enema up er end of which engagesn'uts l2 -thr'ea'ded up'onthe upperend hfther'o'd "i 26; Upondepression of the'pad '|0 the's'pring "HM-is compressedand consequently upon'unlo'ckingthepad T3 the latter is'elevated hyft he sprin I24.

, Asprevi'ously stated the support '21 is movable about the'airis of the column M. The rotation or preferablyreciprocation of the supportll takes place hetw'een two; predetermined operativeyposi tiohs. In'one of these positions the heater- 54 is located above the bottom of the shoe Sand the 'soleOsupport-ed in'the machine. The-arrange rn'e'ht'is such that the "attaching face of the forepan -er the' shoe ib'ottom' andthe attaching face 6 he sole 0 restingbottomup onthe shelf 60, are coated substantially in the same plane and thus aref'located at equal distances from the heater. lv'lo'reover the arrangement is such that theparallel heat rays emitted from the-heaterfi l meet the attaching faces of both the shoe and the stile "at-rig'ht a'ngles. As illustrated in the plan view of Fig. 2, in the operativeposition of the heater'overthesupported shoe, substantially one half of the heater serves to activate the cement on the attaching face of the shoe S, and the other half of the heater serves to activate the cement on the attaching face of the sole 0 on the shelf 69, the sole and the shoe in this position being located in side by side relation. After the activation of the cement on the shoe bottom and the sole, the support 2| is rotated about 180 so as to move the heating device H into its inoperative position and simultaneously to move the pressing mechanism P into its operative position over the supported shoe upon which, in the meantime, the sole with the activated cement thereon has been laid. Downward movement of the handle I04 quickly applies attaching pressure to the tread face of the sole 0 by the pad 10, the pad being held in pressure applying position by the extended double toggle 94, I00.

The support 2| is accurately located in either of its above mentioned two operative positions in which either the pressing mechanism P or the heating device H is in register with the supported shoe S by the following arrangement: The column I4 has a vertical keyway I30 (Fig. 1) providefd. therein which is 1 engaged eye say 132-- ried by'the collar at this prev g a "re and fall with the s pport -21 upon heigh 'adju'stmerit'thereof. The collar has --'at oppfo to sides thereof two abutme'nts one bein-g the boss 54 andthe camera projection [36 (Fig.'-2) with Which cepe'rates an a utment pin l=38 providd on the support 2-]. The abutme'nts 613 and 1-38 are s'o located ei-rcumrerentiany of the collarthat ar-tera =180'- rotation of triesupporta l the 'abu-tmeritpin i 38 'eng'a-g'escne or the other-of the two 'abutnints thus "accurately locating either the pressing mechanism -P or the heating device -H i'n their respective -operative positions.

The length of travel necessary for the pad T0 to move -from its inoperative position to apply pressure to the's'ole-i-s adjustable to aminimum by the heightwiseadjustment of the sup'portZ-I with relation to the "column 14, this adjustment bing-eifected-by the rotation of the hand wheel 26.

After the sole 0 has become-attached to the shoes, the pad 70 is unlocked andmo'vedin-to its "inoperative elevated position as described. The shoe having its sole attachedtheretoisthen removed fromthe machine anda-newsh0e to be soled is'mou'nted on the jack. Bya rotation-of the support? I, the heating device 'H is thenagain located over the shoe and a newoutsole is placed on the shelf whereupon the sole attachingcyele may be repeated. -It will be seen that the'heatl'r ig device H and the pressing mechanism P-by a simple rotation or reciprocation of th'eir'cor'nnmn support -=2' I, are alternately located in their operativepositions in register with the shoe en-its support.

Itis understood that the heating device H -is supplied in a suitable manner with electric current-from a suitable sup'ply.

Having described myirivent-ion, what'-I- ':lai-m as new and desire to secure by- LettersPate'nt-of the United States is:

1. A method of Y attaching solesto shoeswh-ich comprises providing a shoe anda sem nar/mg thermoplastic cement on their attaching faces, 10- catin-g said attaching faces with atleast their greater portions substantially inthesaineeplane, s0 locating a heating deviceemitting parallel heat raysthatthe heat rays are normal-tosaid plane to activate'the cement on said attaching faces, locating the sole upon the shoe while the cement is in activated condition, and pressing the shoe and the sole together.

2. A method of attaching soles to shoes which comprises providing a shoe and a sole having thermoplastic cement On their attaching faces, 10- cating said attaching faces with at least their greater portions at equal distances from a heating device emitting parallel heat rays, with said attaching faces so facing the heating device that the rays are normal to them to activate the cement thereon, locating the sole upon the shoe while the cement is in activated condition, and pressing the shoe and the sole together.

3. A cement sole attaching machine comprising means for supporting a shoe and a sole having thermoplastic cement on their attaching faces with said attaching faces disposed at least with their greater portions in substantially the same plane, heating means spaced from that plane and arranged to emit parallel heat rays normal to said plane to activate the cement, and means for pressing the shoe and the sole together.

4. A machine for simultaneously activating cementon the attaching faces of shoes and soles, having in combination means for separately supporting a shoe and a sole having thermoplastic cement on their attaching faces, and a heating device spaced an equal distance from the attaching faces of the supported shoe and sole and emitting parallel heat rays normal to said attaching faces so as to activate the cement.

5. A cement sole attaching machine comprising means for supporting a shoe having thermoplastic cement on its attaching face, means for supporting a sole having thermoplastic cement on its attaohin face, heating means arranged to activate the cement on both the shoe and the sole, means for pressing the shoe and the sole together, and a common movable support for said heating means and pressing means adapted to locate said heating means andpressing means alternately in register with said shoe supporting means.

6. A cement sole attaching machine comprising separate means for supporting a shoe and a sole having thermoplastic cement on their attaching faces with said attaching faces disposed at least with their greater portions in substantially the same plane, heating means spaced from said plane and arranged to emit parallel heat rays normal to said plane to activate the cement, means for pressing the shoe and thesole together, and a common movable support for the heating means and pressing means adapted to locate said heating means and pressing means alternately in register with said shoe supporting means.

'1. A cement sole attaching machine comprising means for supporting a shoe having thermoplastic cementon its attaching face, means for supporting a sole having thermoplastic cement on its attaching face, heating means arranged to activate the cement on both the shoe and the sole, means for pressing the shoe and the sole together, a common movable support for said heating means and pressing means adapted to locate said heating means and pressing means alternately in register with said shoe supporting means, and means for adjusting said common support heightwise of the machine to space the heating means and pressing means at predetermined distances from the supported shoe.

8. A cement sole attaching machine comprising means for supporting a shoe having thermoplastic cement on its attaching face, a support for a sole having thermoplastic cement on its attaching face located in side by side relation to said shoe supporting means, heating means adapted to activate the cement on both the shoe and the sole, means for pressing the shoe and the sole together, and a conmion movable support for the heating means and the pressing means adapted to locate said heating means and pressing means I alternately in register with said shoe supporting means. i

9. A cement sole attaching machine comprising means for supporting a shoe and a sole laid thereon in pressure sustaining position, pressure applying means movable with relation to the supported shoe and sole to apply pressure thereto, a support for said pressure applying means, means for adjusting said support heightwise of the machine, single means for both moving the pressure applying means into pressure applying position and looking it in that position, and yielding means for permitting continued movement of said single means after the pressure applying means is in pressure applying position.

10. A cement sole attaching machine comprising means for supporting a shoe and a sole laid thereon in pressure sustaining position, pressure applying means movable with relation to the supported shoe and sole to apply pressure thereto, a support forsaid pressure applying means, means for adjusting said support heightwise of the machine, a toggle for moving the pressure applying means into pressure applying position, means for straightening the toggle to operate and lock the pressure applying means, and yielding means for permitting the straightening of the toggle after the pressure applying means is in pressure applying position, said toggle straightening means being operable in a reverse direction to break the toggle and unlock the pressure applying means.

11. A cement sole attaching machine comprising means for supporting a shoe and a sole laid thereon in pressure sustaining position, pressure applying means movable with relation to the supported shoe and sole to apply pressure thereto, a

5 single means for moving the pressure applying means into pressure applying position, for looking it in that position and for unlocking it, and spring means for automatically moving the pressure applying means out of pressure applying position after it has been unlocked.

CUTLER D. KNOWLTON. 

